Multiple manifolding apparatus



R. c. LAssuAT MULTIPLE MANIFOLDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLEMANIFOLDING APPARATUS Raymond C. Lassiat, Paris, France, assignor toHoudry Process Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of DelawareApplication December 9, 1932, Serial No. 646,514 20 Claims- (01. 137-18)-This invention relates to apparatus for conducting fluids and morespecifically to multiple manifold connections for directing the movementof fiuids toward or from a casing or other apparatus unit having aplurality of pipes issuing therefrom. While the invention'is capable, inwhole or in part,.of general application wherever manifolding issubjected to wide temperature variations with consequent irregular andunequal stresses and strains, a particular use is in connection withapparatus for the treatment of fluids by the use of a catalytic or othercontact mass within which the fluids are distributed by a multiplicityof conducting units embedded in the mass. 1

One object of the invention is to provide manifolding apparatus capableof adapting itself to wide temperature variations and to permit alimited amount of yielding movement of the individual connections in anydirection thereby to avoid leaks from strained or disrupted Joints.Another object is to reduce the number of joints.

Another object is to effect uniform distribution or fluid. Still anotherobject is to drain out of the manifold all liquid. Still other objectswill be apparent from the detailed description which follows.

qiAijtreating case or a catalytic converter having airlarge number offluid conducting units or conduits extending therewithin will require arather massive inlet or outlet assemby if uniform and substantiallyequal movement of fluid through'the individual units or conduits is tobe effected. The assembly must make provision for expansion andcontraction of the units or conduits individually and in relation to thelarge main and branch pipes of the assembly which will be mounted, as amatter of practical expediency, in a substantially rigid and fixedspaced relationship to the rigid and fixed treating case. In use, fluidsof different temperatures, especially at periods of transition from onetemperature to another, cause localized stresses and strains ofsufficient magnitude to disrupt the connections between the conduits andthe rigid manifold assembly. The present invention provides means forabsorbing therelative and localized movement of-the connections. To thisend, each connection has a bent or curved portion equal to or exceedinga half circle. In a preferred form, the

connection for several conduits is a manifold, ,bent in the form of acircle or loop with its free endslocated in the same horizontal plane.The conduits are rigidly connected to the free ends of the manifold, notmore than two conduits to each free end, and the assembly connection isat the top or opposite portion of the circle or loop formed by theintermediate bentpart of the manifold. Metering orifices are providedwhen necessary or desirable to insure even distribution, and 5 all partsof the assembly make provision for the complete draining away of liquid.

In order to'illustrate the invention, one concrete embodiment thereof isdisclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a case with a manifold assembly operativelyconnected thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view substantially on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevational view 15 of one of theyielding manifolds for connecting three conduits to the manifoldassembly;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a yielding manifold for fourconduits; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the connections on a still larger scaleshowing a metering device.

As indicated, a manifold assembly A is mounted in rigid fixed positionabove the top of a case B from which projects a multiplicity of conduitsb. The case and the conduits extending therewithin may be for thepurpose of heat exchange only, or they may comprise apparatus adapted toeflect chemical changes of any desired kind on any starting materialthrough the use of a suitable catalytic or other contact mass capable ofeffecting the desired change or conversion and disposed within case B,in which instance portions of conduits b within caseB would be embeddedin the contact mass. In order to prevent leakage of fluids which enteror leave case B through the 35 manifold assembly A, conduits b will bewelded or otherwise fixedly atached in a fluid-tight manner to case B.

The manifold assembly comprises a main 5 extending across case B, but inspaced relation 40 thereto, and subsidiary branches 6, 'l, 8 and 9beneath main 5 in parallelism with one another and at an angle as aright angle, to main 5. The manifold assembly so far described conformssubstantially to the outline of the top of case B, as 45 is apparentfrom Fig. 1. From each of the subsidiary branches 6, l, 8 and 9 extend aseries of connections Ill leading to yielding manifolds connecteddirectly to conduits b. The yielding mani-. folds are arranged toconnect with one, two, 50 three or four of the conduits in any preferredor convenient grouping, those connecting with l3, and with four conduitsby ll. The yielding manifolds are disposed at an angle to subsidiarybranches 6, 1, 8 and 9, which may be an acute angle as clearly indicatedin Fig. 1, when conduits b are in hexagonal formation. If conduits bwere in a square formation, the yielding manifolds could be moreadvantageously arranged at right angles to subsidiary branches 8, I, 8and 0.

Each yielding conduit has a bent portion of an extent equal at least toa half circle, and, in the case of manifold connections l3 and I l, thebent portion comprises two half circles, or one full loop with the freeends l3a, i8b or Ila, Hb in the same horizontal plane in parallelism or,if desired, in substantial alignment as indicated. Connections It) Jointhe bent portion of each of the yielding manifolds at the top of thebent portion which, in the instance of manifolds i3 and M, will be atthe top of the loop, as clearly indicated in the enlarged detail Figs. 3and 4, respectively. From the ends of the bent portions, which, in theinstance of yielding manifolds l3 and M, will be the free ends l3a andlib and Ma and Nb of the respective loop portions, extend suitableconnections IE to be joined in a fluidtight manner, by couplings or bywelding, to

conduits b. The flexible half-circle bend of yielding manifolds H andI2, and the full circle loop of yielding manifolds l3 and i4 absorb anyrelative variations due to expansion and contraction of the portions ofmanifold assembly A and the associated parts of conduits b, which mayresult from irregular heating or cooling, especially when a transitionis made from one fluid to another or from one temperature operatingcondition to another. Connections l5 form extensions of the conduit endsb and by reason of the bends or loops in manifolds II, l2, l3 and I4none of the connections l0 thereof to manifold assembly A will normallybe in line with any of the conduits b.

The parts of the manifold are so proportioned that the drop of pressureof moving fluids is substantially the same between main 5 and all of theyielding manifold portions, thereby to pass the fluid to conduits b atsubstantially the same rate and in the same volume. In order to insuresuch even distribution to all of the conduits, a metering or calibratingorifice can be provided at the inlet to or at any convenient place inyielding manifolds ii to H inclusive. Such throttling or metering meansmay take the form of plugs l6 (Fig. 5) having orifices of predeterminedsize inserted in the lines leading to conduits b as in advance of theloop or half -circle portions of the yielding manifolds. The meteringmeans may be utilized in some or all of the connections as may be deemedmost suitable or desirable.

It is apparent that a large reaction case with many conduits issuingtherefrom will require a large manifold assembly and that duringtemperature transitions localized temperature diiferences will set upstresses and strains of varying intensities acting in all directionsbetween the case and rigid main portions of the manifold assembly. Allsuch movements are absorbed without damage by the half-circle bentportions of the yielding manifolds even when there is relative movementin opposite directions between two conduits Joined to the same end ofthe yielding manifold. Proportioning of parts including meteringportions or orifices provide for equal distribution of fluid to theconduits connected to the manifold. By preference and as indicated, theentire manifold assembly drains into the conduits of the case.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a case having a plurality of conduits issuingtherefrom, of a manifold assembly in spaced relation to said case anddisposed transversely to the axes of said conduits, and manifoldconnections from said assembly having bent portions for taking uprelative movement in any direction, each of said connections beingjoined to from one to four of said conduits.

2. The combination with a case having a plurality of conduits issuingtherefrom, of a manifold assembly in spaced relation to said case, and aplurality of bent manifolds forming connections between said assemblyand said conduits, certain of said manifolds being formed in a'loop withfree ends, said assembly connecting with said loop portion and saidconduits with said free ends.

3. The combination with a case having a plurality of conduits issuingtherefrom, of a manifold assembly in spaced relation to said case, and aplurality of bent manifolds forming connections between said assemblyand said conduits, each of said manifolds comprising a loop with freeends, said assembly being connected to the loop portion of each manifoldand not more than two of said conduits to each of said free ends.

4. In combination, a case having a multiplicity of conduits extendingtherefrom, a manifold assembly mounted in spaced relation to said caseand comprising a main extending over said case in one direction andbranches extending in another direction, and fluid conducting meansconnecting said conduits individually and in groups to said branches andtaking up any relative movement due to uneven temperature variations.

5. In combination, a case having a multiplicity of conduits extendingtherefrom, a manifold assembly mounted in spaced relation to said caseand comprising a main extending over said case in one direction andbranches extending in a transverse direction, and fluid connectionsjoining groups of said conduits to said branches, said connectionshaving bent portions to the extent of substantially a half-circle fortaking up all relative movement of the parts joined thereby due totemperature changes.

6. In combination, a case having a multiplicity of conduits extendingtherefrom, a manifold assembly mounted in spaced relation to said caseand comprising a main extending over said case in one direction andbranches extending in a transverse direction, and looped connectionsbetween said branches and said conduits, each connection being joined ateach end to one or two of said conduits and at an intermediate point toone of said branches.

7. In combination, a case having a multiplicity of conduits extendingtherefrom, a manifold assembly mounted in spaced relation to said caseand comprising a main extending over said case in one direction andbranches extending in a transverse direction, and yielding manifoldsconnecting said conduits in pairs to said branches.

8. In combination, a case having a multiplicity of conduits extendingtherefrom, a manifold assembly mounted in spaced relation to said caseand comprising a main extending over said case in one direction andbranches extending in a transverse direction, and looped manifoldsconnecting said branches to said conduits, said manifolds havingconnections from their lo'oped pottions to said branches and beingconnected at their free ends to pairs only of said conduits.

9. In combination, a case having a multiplicity sidiary parts andconnections being arranged to drain into said conduits.

10. In combination, a case having a multiplicity of conduits extendingtherefrom, a manifold mounted in spacedfrelation to said case, loopedconnections between said manifold and said con- ,duits. said connectionsbeing joined by their looped portions to said manifold and by each oftheir free ends .to one or two of said conduits, and means for meteringthe fluid passing from said manifold into said looped portions of saidconnections.

11. The combination with a container for a contact mass having aplurality of conduits issuing therefrom, of a manifold assembly inspaced relation to said container and disposed transversely to the axesof said conduits, and means connecting said conduits to portions of saidassembly out of line with said conduits and absorbing any relativemovement due to irregular cooling or heating of said means and/or theadjacent portions of said conduits and of said assembly.

12. The combination with a container for a contact mass having aplurality of conduits issuing therefrom, of a manifold assembly inspaced relation to said container, and yielding connections between saidassembly and said conduits, each connection being joined at its ends tosaid conduits and at a central point to said assembly and having bentportions intermediate said joints for absorbing relative movement in anydirection. 1

l3. A manifold assembly for a case having a multiplicity of conduitsissuing therefrom comprising a main, subsidiaryv branches disposedtransversely to said main, and a plurality of manifold connectionsextending from said branches for attachment to from one to four of theconduits, each of said connections having a bent portion to absorb anyrelative movement between the conduits joined thereto and the manifold.

assembly due to temperature variations.

14. A manifold assembly for a case having a r 3 multiplicity of conduitsissuing therefrom comprising a main, subsidiary branches disposedtransversely to said main, and a plurality of manifold connectionsdepending from each of said branches, said connections being in the formof loops with free ends, the loops being joined to said branches attheir central portions, and each free end being arranged for attachmentto one or two of the conduits.

15. A manifold in the form of a conduit having an intermediate bentportion forming a loop, and

means for making fluid connections to said loop portion and to the endportions of said conduit.

, 16. A yielding manifold comprising a conduit .having an intermediateportion forming a loop and free ends in juxtaposition, the centerportion of said loop and said free ends having means for attachment tofluid conduits.

17. A manifold comprising a conduit having an intermediate bent portionin the general form of a loop with substantially straight ends disposedin juxtaposition in a plane at an angle to the plane of said loop, aconnection to the central portion of said loop, and means for making atleast one and not more than two connections to each of said straightends.

18. A manifold comprising a conduit having an intermediate bent portionin the general form of a loop with free ends disposed insubstantialalignment in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of saidloop, a connection for fluid to the central portion of said loop,.andmeans for making not more than two-fluid connections to each of saidfree ends.

19. A manifold comprising a conduit having an intermediate bent portionforming a loop, the center portion of said loop having a connection forfluid, one free end of said connection having means for attachment toone conduit and the other free end having means for attachment to twoconduits. A 1 a 20. A manifold connection for joining conduitsprojecting from a case to a manifold assembly comprising a conduithaving a bent portion forming a half-circle and a free end at an angleto said bent portion having means for connecting two conduits to saidfree end, and a plug providing a calibratingor metering orifice forregulating the quantity of fluid entering said connection.

RAYMOND C. LASSIAT.

